conceptual period

Recipient: Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden e. V. (IFW Dresden e.V.)
Funding: GO-Bio initial conceptual phase 2nd round (01/10/2021 to 30/09/2022, EUR 99,663.19)

The Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden has developed a technology platform for separating biological particles from body fluids using sound waves, known as acoustofluidic separation.

In particular, acoustofluidic technology enables the gentle sorting of sensitive bioparticles and the cost-effective mass production of the acoustofluidic chips required as consumables. Sound waves can be used to separate specific particles of a defined size from liquids such as blood or urine. The PureEx project aims to investigate how this technology can be used for the extraction and purification of biomarkers. With the help of biomarkers, it is possible to draw conclusions about the presence and severity of a disease. The biomolecules obtained, such as proteins, DNA, extracellular vesicles and exosomes in the size range of less than one micrometre, are highly interesting for early diagnosis. In future, the technology developed could replace conventional, sometimes complex laboratory methods for isolating biomarkers.

Based on a transportable laboratory demonstrator and initial successful experiments on the separation of extracellular vesicles, acoustofluidic separation will be evaluated in the conceptual phase regarding possible areas of application and market suitability, the international state of the art and possible competitors, the intellectual property situation and regulatory framework. On this basis, suitable development partners and future users are specifically approached, a development plan for the feasibility phase is drawn up and a viable commercialisation strategy is developed. In the spirit of the announcement, this will help to strengthen innovative research approaches in the life sciences by specifying the use case for this technology so that it can subsequently be commercialised successfully.

feasibility stage

Recipient: Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden e.V.
Funding: GO-Bio initial feasibility phase 2 (01/10/2022 to 31/10/2024, EUR 1,005,990.12)

Instead of an invasive tissue biopsy, liquid biopsies use a blood sample to identify and analyse so-called biomarkers in the blood. Biomarkers are molecules and cells can be correlated to a disease. In the PureEx-2 project, researchers want to improve the sample preparation for biomarker-based liquid biopsies in order to enable early disease diagnosis.

The focus of the project are endothelial extracellular vesicles (EV). These EV are membrane particles secreted by cells lining the inside of blood vessels. Endothelial EVs make up around five per cent of EVs found in blood plasma and often indicate increased blood pressure, diabetes or lipometabolic disorders such as dyslipidaemia.

A new technology means to enable the separation of individual biomolecules. The acoustofluidic separation developed at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden originates from microfluidics, which deal with the behaviour of liquids in the smallest of spaces. The technology enables gentle sorting of sensitive bioparticles. Particles of a specific size, such as EV, can be separated from liquids such as blood and urine using sound waves.

The separation of the EV takes place in a two-stage process. First, the removal of all cells and other larger particles from the blood sample. Second, binding of specific EVs to a carrier material and separation by acoustofluidics as well. The sample obtained in this way is then available for further EV diagnostics, eliminating the need for time-consuming sample preparation. With this new technology biomarkers that indicate the blood vessel disease arteriosclerosis will be measured and the results compared with established  laboratory techniques and analysed for their significance.